Right to minimum wages on govt agenda: Thakur

New Delhi: The central government is contemplating to do away the wage disparity through the right to minimum wages, which is pending in Parliament, according to Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, here on Thursday.

As only 30 per cent workers got minimum wages, the inter-state disparity would be removed and everyone would get employment letters, he said. "The ESIC for workers in hazardous industry and health check-up once a year will be mandatory," the minister said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government was committed to re-skill workers retrenched due to the Covid-19. Reskilling of workers and equal opportunity to women with proper security and safeguards would be ensured, she added.

The government was committed to help migrants, shifting to their respective states, she said.

The government would give free grain -- 5 kg rice wheat and one kg pulse -- to non-ration card holders for the next two months and Rs 3,500 crore had been provided for that, she said. The state government would be the implementing agency for 8 crore migrant labourers.